Kidnapped
by Desert Blossom-by-the-Sea
Summary: Jack and Daniel must help a friend in trouble.
1. Chapter 1

Season 7: Immediately after Evolution 2, before Chimera, but before Heros. Janet never dies in my stories, so somewhat AU.

* * *

Midnight in the infirmary. Depressing place any time of day, but midnight is really bad. 

Daniel turned, moaned, and tried to see just how many machines Janet had him hooked up to this time. _Only the IV. Must not be hurt too badly._ Stiff and sore, he pushed the blanket back and shifted his legs to stand up.

"OK, standing – not good." Daniel sucked in his breath as the bullet wound in his leg made its painful presence known.

"Just what do you think you're doing?"

Daniel turned quickly toward the unfamiliar voice. _Uh, oh. Busted! _ From down on the floor, he looked up to see an unfamiliar woman towering above him, hands on her hips and disapproving look in her face.

"I, ah, I need to go to the bathroom." Daniel's voice sounded pitiful, even to him.

"That's what the call button is for. You push, I come." She bent down and assisted him onto his feet.

"Thanks. Um, I still need to go to the bathroom." Daniel squirmed uncomfortably under her steady gaze and blushed slightly.

She noticed the blush and was amused that a man, who'd been in the infirmary as many times as he, still struggled to maintain some false modesty.

"Fine. But, I'm helping you get there. Your leg still isn't strong enough for you to be up without a crutch."

Several minutes later, she tucked Daniel back into his bed. As soon as he settled in, she turned to him and asked, "Need anything else?"

"Yes," he glanced quickly at her uniform, "Lt. O'Brien, can you keep me company for a few minutes? I've been sleeping most of the day and I don't want go back to sleep just yet." Daniel gave her his best sad puppy look, just in case she needed more incentive to stick around.

"Sure. What do you want to talk about?" She pulled a chair over next to his bed, curious about this man who had been with the SGC longer than anyone else, even Colonel O'Neill.

"I don't remember seeing you around here before. When did you transfer in?"

"You know all the personnel on base?" Her eyes opened wide, in dramatic imitation of disbelief.

"Well, no, but I do know the medical staff pretty well. I'm in here enough." Daniel pointed to the plaque above his bed, dedicating it to him, and took the chance to look at her. She was of average height, slender and her hair was the color of the setting sun. She had it pulled back and restrained in a bun, but tendrils of fire escaped from their captivity and framed her heart-shaped face. Her eyes couldn't decide if they were blue or green and Daniel wondered if they changed color with her moods.

"This is my first day – night, actually. I'm a physician's assistant, not a nurse, so I don't need Dr. Fraiser's permission to give you a shot. That means you need to be on your best behavior around me." She waggled her finger in his face. "Doc told me about you and how you try to get what you want with that puppy-dog face you pulled a few minutes ago. I'll let it go this time, but never again."

"Yes, ma'am." Daniel was impressed by how well she could maintain an air of authority and look so vulnerable at the same time. "So,…how did you become interested in medicine?"

She raised her eyebrows, remembering what the nurses had told her about his curiosity. "As a little girl, I was always the one doctoring injured birds and cats. When I was thirteen, my three-year-old brother became ill with a type of kidney cancer known as Wilms tumor. He recovered and is in college now, studying to become a physician. I became fascinated by everything involved in his treatment and went from there." She shifted uncomfortably in the hard plastic chair. "How about you? What got you interested in archeology?"

"It was the family business. My parents and my grandfather were archeologists and I grew up on digs in Egypt."

Both people turned to face the doorway when they heard someone clearing their throat.

"Boy, Danny, I leave you with an attractive woman for a few minutes and you have her eating out of the palm of your hand." Jack leaned against the doorsill, hands shoved in his pockets and a huge grin on his face. "I take it you're feeling better?"

"Yes, Jack, I'm fine. What are you doing here this late?"

"The general gave me a couple days down time since you're in here and Carter and Teal'c aren't back from their mission yet." Jack waved his hand toward the gate room, as if to show where Carter and Teal'c had gone. "I wanted to finish my paperwork before I left the base." He walked over to Daniel and pulled up his own personalized chair to sit next to his friend.

Daniel's eyebrows raised in surprise. "You wanted to finish your paperwork? Maybe I ought to ask Lt. O'Brien to check you and see if you're all right."

"I think I'll leave Colonel O'Neill to Dr. Fraiser." She turned to face Jack. "She's already told me about you. You're an even worse patient than he is." She pointed over her shoulder to Daniel as she walked toward Fraiser's office. "Five minutes, Colonel, and then the good doctor needs to get back to sleep."

Both men, who appreciated the feminine form in all its spectacular shapes, watched her walk away. Shaking his head as if to rid himself of the picture in his mind, Jack turned back to Daniel. "You seem to be much better, but what are you doing awake at this hour?"

"I slept all afternoon and evening. I'm not sleepy now. Lt. O'Brien was just keeping me company."

"Right. Interesting company." Jack waggled his eyebrows suggestively at Daniel.

"Jack, get your mind out of the gutter."

"Don't tell me you're going to let one of Janet's nurses catch you?"

"First of all, she's not a nurse. She's a physician's assistant – which means she can decide to give you shots, without Janet's approval. Second, give it a rest, Jack." Daniel pushed the button that lowered the head of his infirmary bed. "I think I am sleepy after all. 'Night, Jack."

XXXXXXXXXX

Daniel awoke the next morning to Janet's touch on his forehead.

"Morning, Daniel. How are you feeling today?" Janet's motherly demeanor was offset by her efficient assessment of his current condition.

"I'd be a lot better if some people would let me sleep," his reply muffled by the thermometer thrust into his mouth.

"Hey, you slept all day yesterday, and I understand, most of the night." Janet was pleased with his vital signs – all normal. "You flirting with my new P.A.? Because if you distract her, like you have my nurses, I'm going to have to hurt you."

"You have been hurting me! Giant needles, tubes coming out of all kinds of places, probes – don't even want to think about those, psychological torture…"

"Psychological what? Torture? When have I ever tortured you?" Janet planted her fists on her hips.

"Waking me up just now!" Daniel had yet to pry open his eyes, but he was mentally glaring at her. "Keeping me bound to this infernal infirmary bed when I want to go home. I'd think of more but my brain isn't functioning without coffee."

"Hey, you know the rules – no caffeine."

"See? Torture!" Daniel attempted to give her the evil eye through the slightly open lid of one blue orb.

"Two more nights, Sleeping Beauty. You still can't manage to walk with a crutch, and until you can, you're staying here." Janet's voice became more serious. "Remember, Daniel, you've been tortured, starved, dehydrated, and shot. The human body needs rest to recover. Even yours, Dr. Jackson."


	2. Chapter 2

Two days later, Jack and Daniel stood at the bottom of the stargate ramp, welcoming Teal'c and Sam, along with Jacob and Bra'tac, home from their mission on the Super Soldier home world. Daniel, supported by a crutch, and Sam, arm in a sling, grinned sympathetically at each other as they left for the infirmary.

XXXXXXXXXX

Dr. Fraiser completed Sam's exam and sent her home for two days rest. She turned to Daniel. "You can go home as soon as an airman is available to drive you. I want you off your feet for one week. No driving. No coming into your office. Understood?" She glared directly into his eyes.

"One week? How about three days?" Daniel couldn't imagine what he would do at home for a full week.

"This is not one of your diplomatic negotiations. One week." Janet patted him on the shoulder. "Oh, I'm having a party this Saturday for Cassie. She's turning eighteen next week. I'll have her come pick you up about 1400. She has a date that evening, so it'll be over early."

"Sure. I don't spend enough time with Cassie. Wow, it's hard to believe she'll be leaving for college in the fall." Watching Cassandra grow up, reminded Daniel of the passage of time in his own life. He thought he and Sha're would have had a couple of children by now and he'd be watching his own children grow up.

"Good. I'll see you then - and I'd better not see you on this base before that!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Daniel hobbled to the door using a cane. He'd been able to dump the crutch the day before and he wanted Janet to know that he'd be ready to return to work on Monday.

He threw open the door and hugged the teenager waiting on the other side. "Cassie! It's great to see you. All grown up and almost ready to leave the nest, huh?"

"As if any of you guys would leave me alone long enough!" Cassie kissed Daniel on the cheek. "You ready?"

"Yeah. Just let me get my jacket. Why don't you head for the car and I'll be right behind you?" Daniel reached up to the hook next to the door, grabbed his jacket, locked the door and limped slowly out to the car.

As soon as they pulled out of the driveway, Daniel turned to his young friend. "I understand you're dumping us old folks this evening? Hot date?"

Cassie's cheeks flushed slightly, "Dom's taking me out after the barbeque to a new teen dance club over on Austin Road, near the University. His best friend is playing in the band tonight."

"Sounds like fun. You'll have a great time." Daniel patted her on the shoulder as she pulled into her driveway.

"Come on around back, Daniel. Mom set stuff up back there. Everyone else should be here by now." Cassie dashed out of the car and skedaddled for the food, leaving Daniel to mange by himself.

He was just standing up, supporting himself with the car door, when a car pulled up by the curb and parked.

He stopped and watched as Lt. O'Brien emerged. This time her hair was loose and wild around her shoulders. Myriads of fire-colored ringlets cascaded around her face, casting a warm glow over her fair complexion. She slammed her door and turned to open the back door. Daniel watched as she fumbled around for a couple of minutes, and then emerged, toting a toddler and a diaper bag the size of his off-world backpack.

She looked up and saw him leaning on his cane, apparently waiting for her.

"Hey, Dr. Jackson. Glad to see you walking around on your own." She set the squirming boy down and grasped his hand firmly in hers.

"Lt. O'Brien. Who's this little guy?" Daniel nodded his head toward the toddler, who was unsuccessfully trying to escape his warden's hold.

"This is my son, Connor. He'll be two in a couple of months."

Daniel watched, amused, as she almost trotted up the driveway, attempting to hold back the energetic child. Connor broke away from his mother and made a dash for freedom, straight to Daniel. He leaned down and captured the fugitive in his arms.

Connor pulled back in Daniel's arms to examine this new adult who had disrupted his flight. He stuck his pudgy finger on Daniel's glasses and said, "Wha's dat?"

Daniel grinned, "Those are my glasses. And not to be touched, OK?"

The same pudgy finger disappeared into a soggy mouth as the toddler nodded in agreement. "Who you?"

"I'm Daniel. I work with your mother."

"Ah." Satisfied that Daniel was friendly, Connor began pulling open his shirt pockets, searching for something interesting to explore.

"I'm so sorry. I swear I'm going to have to get a leash for that child. I wonder how any kid grows up without major physical trauma if they're all as curious and energetic as this one." She reached over and retrieved her errant mischief-maker from Daniel's arms.

"My parents had a harness and leash for me. Digs weren't exactly safe places for little kids, so as soon as I knew how to climb out of the playpen, I was harnessed and my movements restricted." Daniel gave her a wistful smile. "I remember my mother threatening me with a leash when I was older."

They walked toward the gated fence leading to Janet's backyard. Daniel opened the gate for her and closed it, checking to be sure it latched. He'd already seen how quickly Connor could escape his mother's strong grasp and he had no wish to chase the little boy down the street.

Daniel turned to see what looked most of SGC in Janet's backyard. General Hammond, SG1, Walter, Siler, and the better part of the medical staff and their dates/spouses, were crammed into the small yard.

Connor took off in a flash and when Cassandra captured him, Lt. O'Brien dashed over to repossess him. Daniel watched as Cassie took the child into the house with the diaper bag. He hobbled carefully over to the lieutenant. "Cassie gave you a reprieve?"

"Yep. She took him in to change his diaper and let him play with her dog for a few minutes." She turned toward Daniel. "Would you like to sit down? You shouldn't be on your feet for very long."

"God, another hovering medical mother. Janet's bad enough." He gave her a shy grin to show that he was teasing. "I'm fine. I've been off my feet all week and I'm sick of sitting. It feels good to stand and walk for a while."

"Well, Dr. Jackson, as soon as you begin to feel any discomfort, I want you to sit down." She was looking around the yard to see if there were any empty chairs.

"Daniel."

"What?"

"Call me Daniel. Only strangers and people I don't like call me Dr. Jackson." Mackenzie flashed through Daniel's mind.

"I'm Rori."

"Rori O'Brien. By any chance, Irish?" Daniel folded his arms around his chest and grinned at her.

"Ah, now, 'tis grand of ya ta notice! Me gran-da would be proud." Her blue-green eyes twinkled in humor.

Daniel's linguist ear picked up the regional accent in her brogue. "County Mayo?"

"Wow. I'm impressed! Yes, my father's parents migrated to Canada from Ireland and when my dad married my mom, an American, he moved to the States. We visited my grandparents frequently and my grandfather made sure I knew what a good Irishman sounded like. He even taught me some Gaelic."

"I've been working on Gaelic recently. SG10 has discovered some ruins on PC7-291 with some carvings that look like Ogham from the 4th century Earth time…"

"Excuse me, Daniel, but Cassie just came out with Connor. I need to go rescue her. After all, it's her birthday and she shouldn't have to baby sit." Rori left Daniel in lecture mode, mid-sentence, with his mouth open and finger pointing in the air.

Shocked, and a little embarrassed, that she'd just walk off like that while he was in the middle of a sentence, Daniel shrugged and moved over to the grill where Jack had taken charge of the hot dogs and hamburgers.

'Hey, Danny." Jack waved the long-handled tongs at him. "Grab me a beer, will you?"

Daniel found the ice chest and dug two beers out. He handed one to Jack and twisted open the other for himself. "Where are Sam and Teal'c?"

Jack took a deep swallow, sighed in satisfaction, and shrugged. "Haven't seen them for a while. Last I saw them, they were talking to Hammond over by the maple tree in the corner. That was about fifteen minutes ago." Jack turned back to the grill and began turning the hot dogs over.

"Uh, I guess I'll go looking." Daniel turned and began a slow walk around the yard, searching for his friends.

By the time he'd circled the yard, without finding either SG1 member, his wounded leg was beginning to burn and he knew he needed to sit or he'd fall on his face. He spotted an empty chair on the deck behind Jack and made his way back up the steps. Sinking down gratefully, he sipped slowly on his beer and watched his fellow workers in a different environment.

It amused him how he could work almost daily with someone and not recognize them when he saw them in civilian clothes. Siler stood out in shorts and a multi-colored Hawaiian shirt. Walter was wearing tight fitting jeans over cowboy boots, a Western shirt with pearly snaps, and a worn, straw cowboy hat. The high healed boots brought him up to just about Sam's height.

He also enjoyed seeing who people dated and married. He never would have thought of Siler married to a petite woman who looked too fragile to be safe with the tall, accident prone man.

Daniel sat and enjoyed himself quietly for about twenty minutes, when his solitude was abruptly broken by a flying toddler. Connor barreled up the stairs, leaped into Daniel's lap and buried his curly strawberry blond head in Daniel's shirt, giggling like crazy. Daniel was so startled, he almost shoved the child off his lap.

Rori came ripping up the stairs in pursuit of her escape artist son. "Thank god! Thanks for capturing him, Daniel, again."

"I think he caught me. I was just sitting here when I suddenly became a landing site for a flying bundle of energy." Daniel looked down to see sleepy blue-green eyes blinking at him.

Connor plunked his thumb in his mouth and snuggled comfortably against Daniel. His eyes shut and, just that fast, he was asleep.

"Does he always fall asleep this quickly? I should learn how to do that. It would come in handy." Daniel curled his arm protectively around the sleeping boy.

"Yep. He runs and runs until he suddenly shuts down. I'll take him." Rori reached out to remove Connor from Daniel's lap.

"Won't he wake up? You can leave him with me. I'm not going anywhere for a while." He looked down at the angelic-looking child and wondered what Sha're's and his child would have looked like. He brought his free hand up and began stroking Connor's hair gently.

Rori watched him with her son and she wished that Connor could have had a father who treated him like Daniel did. She sighed and pulled a chair over next to Daniel. "I've been chasing him around since we got here and I'm exhausted. I wish I could just cuddle up like him in a nice comfortable lap and go to sleep."

As soon as it was out of her mouth, she wished she'd never said that. Daniel peered at her over the top of his glasses, as she colored with embarrassment, all the way down her neck. He tried to stifle his laughter to keep from further embarrassing her and to keep from waking the sleeping boy.

"I…That is… Oh, that didn't come out right!" Rori looked away from Daniel and tried desperately to find a way to change the subject.

Settling down to a grin, Daniel said, "I know there have been many times I wished I could just snuggle up to someone and sleep. I guess little kids are lucky - they can sleep on anyone."

Daniel searched for a topic to discuss – she obviously wasn't interested in translation work. "When do we get to meet Connor's father? Is he coming later?"

"There is no father in his life." Her eyes flashed and changed color.

_I was right. Her eyes do change color with her moods. OK, green means anger._ "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up a sensitive subject."

"That's OK. You'd think I'd be used to it after almost two years."

Janet chose that moment to call everyone around for Cassie to blow out her candles and cut the birthday cake.


	3. Chapter 3

Almost two months later, Daniel was walking through the park to his favorite coffee shop, thinking about whether he should order a cinnamon spice mocha or an Americano, when he spotted Rori pushing Connor on a swing. Glancing at his watch to confirm that he still had plenty of time before meeting Jack for coffee, he crossed over the grass to the play area.

"Hi! Looks like he's enjoying himself." Daniel waved at Rori as he approached.

"Oh, hi, Daniel. Believe it or not, he could sit in this for hours. It really seems to calm him down." She reached around from behind Connor as he swung back to her and tickled his knees.

The child giggled, kicking his legs, "Higher, Mommy!"

"I think that's high enough, young man. You're not old enough to be an astronaut yet!"

Daniel watched the interaction between mother and son. She clearly enjoyed her son and once again Daniel felt a twinge of loss for what he didn't have. Surely by now he and Sha're would have had a couple of children.

"It's time to stop, Connor. We need to go home and have lunch before Mommy has to go to work." She stopped pushing and let the swing wind down on its own. When it stopped, she grasped Connor under his arms and tugged to lift him out, but his foot got caught in the child-safe swing as he fought removal, so Daniel stepped over to help by twisting the swing and extract Connor's foot, while Rori hung on to the squirming child.

"I'm forever being reminded why two parents are a better idea than one!" Rori murmured, frustrated. "Thanks for the help."

She put the child down and reached behind her to grab her purse. Connor scrambled across the sand then clambered up and over the four-foot high chain-link fence that enclosed the play area.

Daniel leaped over the fence, but Rori, burdened by her purse and shorter legs, was slowed down when she ran through the gate. By the time they'd left the play area, Connor had disappeared behind some bushes.

Daniel made it around the bushes before Rori and watched a man scoop Connor up. Daniel slowed, thinking the man would hold him until he and Rori got there. Rori came flying around the corner, saw who had her son and halted abruptly.

"Oh, dear god, no!" Her face blanched and she wavered for just a second.

Daniel looked between her and the man holding Connor. He felt the fear rising from her in waves and his concern for Connor sharpened. Daniel began to move toward Connor, intending to take the child back to his mother.

"Move any closer and I'll shoot." The man, holding Connor as if he were a football, shoved his hand into his jacket pocket.

"Rori, get down!" Daniel yelled, wishing he had a zat with him. "Please, just hand us the child and we won't make any trouble for you."

"I don't think so. This is my kid and he's going with me." Gesturing toward Rori, he continued, "That bitch never even told me I had a kid. I had to find out from my cousin." He glared at Daniel, looking him over as if he were sizing him up. "She's a good piece of ass, isn't she?" He grinned at Rori, showing a set of straight, white teeth.

"Please. Let's talk about this. I'm sure you and Rori can work out a reasonable schedule for visitation. Put down the child and we'll talk." Daniel held his hands open and out to his sides to show the man that he wasn't going for a weapon. At the same time, he inched his way closer to the captured boy.

"Jason, please don't hurt him! He doesn't know you. You're scaring him!" Rori's eyes were huge with horror. Her breath came in quick, short spurts; her hands unconsciously twisted the material of her t-shirt.

"Rori, please, just stay back and let me handle this. This is what I do all the time. I know what I'm doing." Daniel moved to block her from Jason, attempting to keep her from rushing him and getting herself and Connor hurt.

Connor heard the stress in his mother's voice and decided he wanted to go to her. He'd already learned that a hug from him made her happy when she was sad. He began wiggling and yelling at the bad man to let him go.

"Oh, god, Daniel! Do something!" Rori made an attempt to run up to Jason and take Connor, but Daniel grabbed her by the shoulders and glared into her eyes.

"Rori! I need you to focus! Just be still. I can't get Connor if I'm trying to protect you." Daniel whispered harshly.

From the corner of his eye, Daniel saw someone else moving quickly in their direction. _God, please keep other people away right now._ Daniel eyed the fifteen feet between Jason and himself and tried to decide if he could throw himself across the distance and tackle the man.

"Hey, Danny! Stood me up for a pretty girl?" Jack came around the corner of the bushes, saw Daniel's tense expression and realized that there was a situation. "What's going on?" Colonel O'Neill snapped to attention.

Jason began to feel he was losing control of the situation. "There are way too many people here. Stay back! I'm taking my son, and you," waving his gun toward the group, "aren't stopping me." His eyes were wild and Jack was certain the man was strung-out on something.

Jason began backing up, moving toward the parking lot. Jack moved quickly behind the bushes, planning to come around behind the man before he made it to his car. Jason saw the movement and fired his gun wildly at Rori and Daniel.

Rori went down, clutching her arm. "Daniel, don't let him take my baby!"

Daniel knelt down and saw that she'd been shot in the arm, but didn't appear to be in immediate danger. He squatted down, making himself as small a target as possible, and ran after Jason and Connor. At the same time, he dug out his cell phone and dialed 911.

Jack ran behind the bushes toward the parking lot and watched as Jason jumped into a battered pick-up, still holding a screaming Connor. He held onto the boy with one arm and started the truck with the other, backed up and pealed out of the parking lot. Jack wasn't able to see the license plate to get the number.

Daniel ran up just as the truck entered the street. He was on the phone, talking to the dispatcher; giving a description of the truck and the direction in which it was heading. Rori arrived immediately behind him, clutching her bleeding arm.

Jack pulled out his phone and called Janet, told her where they were and to bring emergency supplies to treat a bullet wound.

Daniel turned toward Rori. "God, Rori, you're bleeding a lot!" He watched blood flow down her arm and puddle at her feet.

She glanced down at her arm, only vaguely aware that she was injured. "I think he hit the brachial artery – lots of blood." Turning slowly toward Daniel, she mumbled, "I don't feel so good." Her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed.

Daniel shrugged out of his jacket, stripped off his t-shirt, wadded it up and held it on the bleeding wound, applied pressure to slow the bleeding.

"Janet's on her way to take care of Rori. Police coming?" Jack stuffed his cell phone back in his pocket and knelt down next to Daniel and Rori.

"Yes. I gave them a description of the truck, of Connor, and of Jason. Hopefully, he won't get too far." Daniel sent up a silent pray that Connor would be recovered quickly.

In less than three minutes, the police arrived, with Janet about a minute behind them. Daniel continued applying pressure to Rori's wound while Jack told the police everything he had seen. As soon as Janet arrived, Daniel stood up and was approached by a man in a suit.

"I'm Detective Reynolds." He introduced himself and pointed to the badge clipped onto his jacket pocket. "I understand you were a witness to the entire incident?"

"Yes." Daniel gave him a brief report on what had happened.

"I'd like you to come down to the station so we can get a complete statement." The detective turned to Jack, "We also need you to come. Tomorrow at 9am."

Daniel and Jack looked at each other. "I'll have to check with our CO and see if we're free." Jack didn't plan on going to the police station. He'd already told them everything he'd seen. Daniel wasn't going in either. He planned on going after Jason.


	4. Chapter 4

Janet turned to Daniel. "She'll be just fine. I've removed the bullet. It nicked the brachial artery and then lodged against the humerus, cracking the bone. She lost quite a bit of blood and I've given her a full unit. She'll probably be able to leave tomorrow, but I've sedated her and she'll be here overnight." 

Daniel nodded, his forehead furrowed in concentration. "When will she be able to tell us more about the man who took Connor?"

"She's out for the night. It will be tomorrow morning before she's alert enough to help." Janet bowed her head for a moment and then looked back into Daniel's worried eyes. "I can only imagine how frantic she'll be. I know how I'd feel if it were Cassie. She's new in the area and doesn't have any family around. We're the only friends she has, Daniel. She's going to need us."

Daniel left the infirmary and headed to Jack's office. He found the Colonel on the phone with the local FBI office, giving a description of Connor and Jason. Daniel waited, head down and arms folded over his chest.

"Daniel, we need to get a photo of the kid over to the FBI. I've gotten permission from Hammond to enter her home and look for some pictures. Also, we need to look for anything that might tell us who this jerk is who took Connor. She might have something around that will help us locate him." Jack stood, grabbed his jacket and left, with Daniel following.

"Jack, we can go by the infirmary and get her keys. There should be a set in her purse. Janet brought it when she brought Rori in this afternoon." Daniel punched in level 21 on the elevator panel and turned back to Jack, mouth drawn in a grim frown. "You know I plan on going after the bastard."

"Yeah, I know. I'm going with you."

Jack and Daniel entered Rori's apartment and began a quick search. They easily found pictures of the missing child – dozens were hung on the walls and scattered about all the flat surfaces in the living room. Daniel reluctantly searched her bedroom, looking for anything that might lead to any information about the man who claimed to be Connor's father.

"Jack, I've found something." Daniel was sitting on the floor in her bedroom, digging through boxes she kept in the closet.

Jack came in and stood behind Daniel, peering over his shoulder at the paper in his hand.

"Take a look at this." Daniel handed a paper up to Jack.

Jack took a quick glance at a copy of a police report charging Jason Williams with the assault and rape of Rori O'Brien. It was dated two years and seven months earlier.

"God, Jack. He raped her and she got pregnant. No wonder she didn't tell him about the baby."

"Did you read the whole thing?" Jack was still skimming the paper in his hand.

"Yes. Date rape. She was set up on a blind date with her room mate's boyfriend's cousin, Jason."

"The report gives an address and phone number for his cousin. It's in Florida." Jack folded the paper and stuck it in his pocket. "Let's go give this to the FBI."

They stopped at a local stationery store to make a copy of the report for themselves and then spent the next couple of hours in the FBI office. They were told that the truck Jason had been driving had been reported as stolen the day before, and was found abandoned about ten miles from the park. Another car was reported stolen from the area about an hour after Connor had been kidnapped. They had an Amber Alert issued for Colorado and the surrounding states. According to them, everything was being done to find Jason Williams before anything happened to Connor. They were also informed that Jason had a long history of drug and assault related arrests and convictions. He was being considered armed and dangerous.

"Daniel, let's go home and tomorrow we can talk to Rori and decide what we need to do. It's already 2200 hours and we need sleep if we're going to be any help." Jack grabbed Daniel's arm and began pulling him out of the office toward his truck.

"I'm going back to the base." Daniel saw the look on Jack's face that told him an argument was about to take place. "I'll go to my quarters and sleep. I just want to be there in case she wakes up early. The sooner we get information, the sooner we can get the kid back." Jack hesitated, as if about to object, but knew by the stubborn look on Daniel's face that he'd only lose, so he nodded in agreement.

Jack drove Daniel to the base and then headed home. Wandering into the kitchen, he pulled a beer from the fridge and went back into the living room. He picked up a framed picture of Charlie and sat in a chair next to the fireplace. Staring at the picture and sipping on the beer, he tried to imagine what he would have felt if Charlie had been taken by someone. His heart began racing at the thought of not knowing where his son was. He knew one thing for damned sure; no one could have kept him from searching for his son.


	5. Chapter 5

Rori awoke to the sound of quiet male voices murmuring. Confused, but with a panicked feeling quickly overwhelming her, she wondered why men were in her bedroom. Daniel noticed her stirring and took her uninjured hand in his. 

"Good morning." His voice was soft and comforting.

"What're you guys doin' 'n my room." Her voice was slurred and confused.

"You're in the infirmary. You'll be fine. Janet said you can probably go home today." Daniel hooked a foot around a chair leg, pulled it forward and sank down into it, all without releasing the hold he had on her hand.

Sudden awareness cleared the cobwebs and Rori tried to jump out of bed. "My god! My baby! Where is he? Did you find him? I've got to go to him. He'll be scared without me!"

Jack captured her around the waist and prevented her from standing. Daniel stood again, helping Jack to gently push her back into the bed. "Janet! She's awake!" Daniel called out.

Janet had already heard the scuffle and she came running over to check on her patient.

"Let me get up! I've got to go get Connor!" Rori struggled with both men and tore open the stitches in her arm, starting up the bleeding in her arm again.

"Lieutenant! Stand down!" Janet barked the order.

Rori immediately quit struggling, awaiting further orders.

"If you can't remain calm, I'll have to sedate you again and there'll be no chance you get out of here today. Am I making myself clear?" For a small woman, Janet sure had the authoritative persona working well.

"Yes, ma'am." Lt. O'Brien took a deep breath and turned to Jack and Daniel. "Please, what is going on with my son?"

Jack, Daniel, and Janet all exchanged quick glances and Rori knew the news wasn't good.

Daniel folded his arms across his chest, pushed his glasses up his nose, and gave her a quick overview of what happened after she was brought into the infirmary.

"You went through my house? How could you?" Rori blanched from fear. These men, whom she only knew slightly, now knew the biggest secret in her life – how Connor was conceived.

"You were unconscious and you obviously knew that bast…, um,…jerk. We were trying to find anything the authorities could use to catch him quickly." Daniel picked up her hand again. "I'm sorry if that makes you uncomfortable, but we thought it would be the fastest way to track him down."

Rori closed her eyes and watched as her world fell apart. She'd tried her hardest to keep Connor safe from the man who had so violently given her the best gift she'd ever had. She never wanted Connor to know who his father was and to do that she had vowed to never tell anyone else how he was conceived. Only her ex-roommate, Beth, and her boyfriend knew what had happened. She'd never even told her family. She could only pray that he was too young to remember any of this after he came home.

"Rori, I know you're upset and hurt, but is there anything else you can tell us that could lead us to him?" Jack's warm brown eyes met her frightened ice blue eyes.

"Sit down. This may take a few minutes." Rori sighed, resigned to letting these men know things about her that her own family didn't know.

She quickly explained that she had met Jason when her room mate set up a blind date with her boyfriend's cousin, who was in town for a few days and what had happened. She filed charges, but Jason had left town by that time and the police were unable to track him. Rori guessed that he'd contacted his cousin recently and discovered that she'd gotten pregnant and he'd traced her somehow. She didn't know anything about him; not where he lived or where he worked – nothing.

Janet had finished re-suturing Rori's arm while she explained her connection to Jason. "If you can stay calm for the rest of the morning, I'll let you go at noon. But, and I'm serious here, you need to rest for at least two days. You've lost a lot of blood and you'll be feeling tired. I can't cast your arm because of the wound, so you'll need to keep it bound to your chest for the next week and then we'll see what needs to be done. You're also off work for at least a month. You won't be any good around here with a broken arm."

Janet left Daniel and Jack with her. "I can't sit at home while my baby's missing! Oh, god, what am I going to do?" Rori's eyes shone with unshed tears. She kicked off the covers off and tried to stand up. Her breath came in shallow, quick spurts and she was quickly loosing control.

"First, you've got to calm down or Janet will keep you here another day." Daniel removed his glasses and moved within six inches of her face. He pushed her back onto the bed and placed one hand on each side of her head, pinning her down. "Breathe in through your nose to the count of four – deeply – and out through your mouth to the count of eight." Daniel demonstrated and encouraged her to follow him. Within thirty seconds, she was calmed down and ready to listen.

Jack waited while Daniel worked with her and then moved so he was in her direct line of sight. "Lieutenant, I've already made arrangements to borrow a LearJet from a friend. Daniel and I are going to Florida this afternoon to talk to Jason's cousin and find out anything he knows. He may be able to give us some idea about where the bastard's gone."

Rori sat up quickly. "I'm going with you."

"Rori, do you think that's a good idea? After all, you're injured and Janet said you need to rest." Daniel didn't want to place her in any more danger. She'd already been shot!

Jack slid his eyes from Rori to Daniel and spoke softly. "Daniel, if that had been Charlie, do you think a little thing like a bullet hole in my arm would keep me from going after him?"

Daniel held Jack's dark eyes for a moment and he knew there was nothing in the universe – not Anubis himself – that could have kept Jack from looking for his son. He nodded his understanding and agreement. They'd take Rori with them.


	6. Chapter 6

Jason pulled into the mall parking lot and wove slowly in and out of the lanes, looking for an older car with a child seat in it. He was sick of trying to keep the kid from bouncing all over the place while he was driving. 

"Ah, found one." Jason parked the stolen SUV several spaces away. "Stay here, kid and don't move." It would have been good if he'd known what his own son's name was, but he figured he could call him Junior. The kid should have been named after him anyway. _Too bad the brat looked like his mother._

Jason peered around the parked cars, looking to see if anyone was watching him. Safe. He pulled out the long strip of metal he'd long ago taken from his uncle's locksmith business, and slid it down into the door between the window and metal. _Ten seconds! Getting faster at this. _Jason opened the door and popped the hood open. Fiddling around for a minute, he started the car. Leaving the car running, he ran back and pulled Connor out of the SUV and strapped him down in the car seat.

"Now you won't be running all over the car, kid." Jason got into the driver's seat and checked the gas gage. Full. "Hey, kid, our luck is holding out."

He left the parking lot and turned south. He had a friend he'd met during one stint in jail who had a place just the other side of the Rio Grande River in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. He pulled back onto Highway 27 and headed out of Amarillo toward San Antonio.

XXXXXXXXXX

Jack checked the instruments on the plane's panel and was satisfied that everything was a go for landing. He radioed the control tower in Pensacola and got instructions for landing on runway four. He brought the nose down just a bit and began the landing procedures.

Thirty minutes later, they'd rented a car and were headed for Beth's, Rori's old roommate. She'd married Jason's cousin, Jerry, a few months before and they had just bought a condo on the bay. Rori had called Beth as soon as Janet had let her off base and informed her of what was happening. Beth let her know that the FBI had already contacted them and Jerry had given them what little information he had on Jason.

Jack pulled into the driveway of a small townhouse that faced the water across the street. Rori was out the passenger door before he'd even gotten the key out of the ignition. Daniel dashed after her, knowing that she was already exhausted and still anemic from loss of blood. He caught up to her at the door and grabbed her good elbow just as she began swaying.

Daniel turned her around to face him. "Rori, ten seconds isn't going to make any difference. If you make yourself sick, you'll have to go home. Just wait for Jack and me to help."

Jack leaped up the steps, two at a time, and arrived just as the door opened. A pretty, slightly plump, blond woman opened the door and threw her arms around Rori.

"Oh, god, Rori. I can't even imagine what hell you're going through right now." She wiped the tears from her eyes and led her friend into the kitchen. "Sit. I'll make some coffee and you can tell me exactly what's happened."

While Beth made coffee and placed some fruit and cookies on a serving platter, Rori told Beth everything that had happened in the past 24 hours. Daniel and Jack sat on either side of her, Daniel holding her good hand, and Jack with his arm resting on the back of her chair, occasionally patting her reassuringly.

Beth set four mugs on the table and poured some coffee for each of them. As soon as Rori finished catching Beth up on recent events, she sat down next to Daniel and pulled Rori's hand away from his. "Rori, we'll get him back. You can count on that. I called Jerry as soon as I saw your car pull into the driveway. He should be home in a few minutes and we'll answer any questions you have about Jason."

Beth released her hand and took a good look at her best friend. "No offense, but you look like hell. Should you be out of bed?"

"Probably not," Jack responded, "but she's not going to let that stop her from finding her kid."

All four people turned to the doorway as Jerry entered. He dropped a kiss on his wife's head and grabbed a coffee mug from the mug tree on the counter. Sitting down next to his wife, he introduced himself.

"I'm Jerry Hubbard, Beth's husband." He grinned wickedly at Beth. "That sounds so good – husband."

Jack and Daniel exchanged an amused looked as Daniel introduced himself and Jack. "I'm Daniel Jackson and this is Colonel Jack O'Neill. We work with Rori and we were with her when Jason kidnapped Connor. We're going to help her get him back."

Jack turned to Jerry. "We need to know everything about Jason. Any friends he may have, places he's been, any hunches you might have."

Jerry told them everything he knew about his cousin; Daniel or Jack occasionally interrupted to ask questions. An hour later the group had pretty much exhausted all the information Jerry had.

Jack summarized what they had learned from Jerry. "OK, we know he's spent time in jail several times, so he's met people there we don't know about. Family is pretty much all here in Florida and no one's heard from him. He's never kept a job longer than a few months. He's worked as a mechanic and done some locksmithing – that comes in handy for stealing cars."

"It looks like the next step is to get information about people he met in jail who might be out now. He could go to one of them for refuge." Daniel pulled his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. "Jack, do you know anyone who could get that information for us?"

"Yep. Major Lambert at Cheyenne Mountain. He's the exec officer of the MPs on base. He'll be able to get computer access to jail records all over the country." Jack glanced at his watch. "It's 1630 in Colorado. He should still be there. Jerry, do you remember just which jails and prisons Jason's been in?"

"Only three that I know of, all here in Florida. Here, I'll write them down for you." Jerry walked over to a drawer in the kitchen and pulled out a pad of paper and a pencil. As he began writing, Jack pulled out his cell phone and called SGC for Major Lambert.

Daniel turned to Jerry. "While you're at it, do you have an email address here at your house? Major Lambert could email us what he finds."

Jerry wrote his email address down and handed the list to Jack. Twenty minutes later he checked his email and found the information they'd been waiting for. He printed out the information and handed it to Jack.

Jack and Daniel went through the papers and found that four men had been released who had shared a cell with Jason. Three of the men were in the Pensacola area and one had moved, but his last known address was Laredo, Texas.

Daniel got back on the computer to do a search for Geraldo Munoz. He found four listed in Laredo. As he dug further into the online information, he found that two of them were too young, one was in his fifties – too old – and one was working as a dishwasher in a local bar.

Jack, looking over Daniel's shoulder, turned to Rori. "Looks like our next stop is Texas."

Jerry, arm around his wife's shoulder, suggested the three people stay overnight with them. It was already 1800 hours Texas time and by the time they got flight plans and flew to Laredo, it would be after 2200 hours. Rori was ready to go out the door immediately, but Jack and Daniel accepted Jerry's invitation.

Jack called the airport and made flight arrangements for 0800. By the time they got to Laredo it would be about 0900 Texas time, late enough to be asking questions of strangers.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: This was a fun chapter to write. My beta, Verb, (check out her stories - great!) is trying to charge me for a box of tissues - so be aware!

* * *

Beth settled Rori in the guest room and left Jack and Daniel to flip a coin for the couch. Jack won. Daniel took a throw pillow from the couch and tried to get comfortable on the floor.

Images of the fear on Connor's face as Jason ran off with him flashed through Daniel's mind every time he closed his eyes. When he eventually began to drift off to sleep, Connor's face was replaced with Sha're's image, pleading with him to find her. He woke up with a start, covered in a cold sweat. All possibility of sleep now completely gone, he got up, wandered through the small condo and found himself on the deck off the kitchen.

He hadn't had a dream like that since Sha're died. Right now he wished he smoked – he could sure use the distraction. He took a deep breath and let his eyes rise to the night sky. There was a time in his life when the stars had simply been…well…stars. Beautiful, big balls of burning gases. Constellations that told stories of heroes and gods. But then he'd opened the stargate and found Abydos – Sha're. Someplace out there, on an obscure planet orbiting one of those stars, his life had come to a stop. Yes, he was still alive, but it wasn't much of a life. He thought of Rori, who had Connor – he was certain they'd get him back. She had someone to love. That's really all he wanted; someone to love.

He closed his eyes and allowed himself a wishful glimpse of a life with a family. A wife, a couple of children. Love. Home. Leaning his elbows on the deck railing, he lowered his head into his hands. Heart empty, head pounding, he mourned for the life he'd been denied; for companionship, for security, for passion. He had rescued Sarah from her Goa'uld, but failed the only person in the universe he'd been responsible for, and feelings of inadequacy he had harbored all those years came tumbling back. He wanted a family, children, but he couldn't even protect a grown woman. What made him think he deserved children? He hadn't been able to protect Connor; to keep him safe. Maybe the "fates" were right – he didn't deserve anyone.

XXXXXXXXXX

Rori couldn't get comfortable. Neither the painful pulsing in her arm, nor her empty heart would let her. She finally gave up and decided to take the pain medication Janet had given her. Disentangling herself from the sheets, she retrieved the bottle of pills from her bag and pattered into the kitchen for a glass of water. She found a clean glass and was filling it when a shadow moved just outside the window and caught her eye. Unnerved, the glass slipped through her fingers and fell into the sink, shattering it.

The shadow turned and ran into the kitchen. Rori backed herself into the corner and tried to disappear in the dark recesses of the cupboards.

Daniel heard the water running in the sink and reached over to turn it off. He found the bottle of pills next to the sink and read her name on the bottle.

"Rori? It's me, Daniel. Are you all right?" Daniel's soothing voice floated softly though the night shadows.

Rori's heart pounded so hard, she barely heard Daniel's quiet words. Daniel flipped on the muted light over the sink and saw her sheltered in the shadows.

Her face buried in the corner, her back to Daniel, she shuddered. He continued to walk over toward her, murmuring softly all the while. Finally within her reach, he tentatively touched her shoulder. "Rori. Turn around. You're safe."

His gesture and voice finally penetrated the haze of her fear and she opened her eyes.

"Rori, it's fine. No one's here but us." Knowing that she was only marginally aware of who he was, he pulled a handful of flowing tresses away from her eyes. "Look at me."

She turned around and flung herself into the safety of Daniel's arms. "Oh, god, Daniel! I thought he had found me! I just keep seeing him take my baby every time I close my eyes. I can't do this any longer. I won't survive if I don't find my son." Overcome by despair, Rori slid down Daniel's body and became a trembling heap at his feet.

Daniel slid down the wall onto the floor beside her and then pulled her into his lap, rocking her. He rubbed comforting circles on her back and murmured serenely in her ear. He waited out the wracking sobs, shifting her occasionally to bring her closer.

Her head tucked under his chin, the sobs quieted. "God, Daniel. I can't think about anything else. I can't see anything else. I can only hear his cries for me as Jason carried him away. When will this go away? How can I live like this?"

Daniel shifted her so that her bound arm was free from pressure. "It never goes away, completely. For the rest of your life – even after we get him back – you'll relive that scene in your nightmares. You'll see him call your name and reach for you. And you'll be helpless to save him."

Daniel took in a shaky, deep breath and let it out lethargically. "You'll learn to live with it. The sharp, intense pain will be replaced by a throbbing ache that will become a part of you. It will live down deep in your soul, coloring your life, and surface when you least expect it."

He cradled her head against his shoulder, unconsciously twirling a lock of her hair in his fingers; something he had done a thousand times with Sha're. "You'll think you're over it, happy, laughing, and suddenly, you'll see someone who reminds you. And then you'll lose your breath and the pain will return, sharp and jagged, and you'll struggle to keep your legs from folding beneath you. Your nights will be unending, while you rerun his life in your head and wonder what you could have done to save him."

Daniel pressed his cheek against the cushion of her hair. "You'll find guilt welling up and seizing you by the throat, choking you. You won't be able to look at another child or think about loving another child without feeling gut wrenching guilt. Peace will become elusive. Friends will try to help, but they won't be able to pierce the pervading fog of loss. You'll be alone."

His tears dampened her hair now. "When you get him back - and I promise you, Jack and I will do anything we have to do to get him back – your joy will be muted by the fear that it could happen again."

Daniel's deep sorrow had penetrated through Rori's and she recognized another soul in pain. "Who did you lose?"

"My wife." Daniel closed his eyes and he could almost smell Sha're's exotic scent – just beyond his senses. His voice became harsh as he tried to control the urge to sob. "She was possessed by a Goa'uld. I joined SG1 so I could look for her. I found her once, and she was taken again. Finally, after two-and-a-half years of searching, she was killed in front of me. That was four years ago."

Jack, who had been awakened by the breaking glass, stood in the hallway, just outside of the kitchen door and heard Daniel's confession of loss. He hadn't realized that Daniel was still mourning Sha're. Daniel always insisted he'd learned to live with it and had moved on. But thinking about it, Jack couldn't remember ever seeing Daniel laughing with joy. There was always a layer of sorrow floating beneath everything he experienced. Jack understood this – he lived with it everyday himself. He'd just never realized how guilty Daniel felt about Sha're's loss. When Jack heard Daniel urging Rori to try to sleep, he moved back toward the living room and his couch, frowning with empathy for both Daniel and Rori.

"Come on. Let's get you that pain medication and then it's back to bed for you." Daniel helped Rori stand. He cleaned up the broken glass in the sink while she got another glass of water and swallowed the pill.

"Daniel. I know this is going to sound wrong, but stay with me tonight. I just can't bear to be alone."

Daniel looked into Rori's sorrow-filled eyes. _Blue. Her eyes are blue when she's sad._ He nodded, flicked out the light and followed her to the guest room.

They climbed into the twin bed, Daniel on his side up against the wall with Rori facing him, her head cradled on his arm. He pulled her close, laid his head against her hair and the two pain-wracked souls found release in sleep, intertwined in each other.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: It's a holiday for me, so you all get a new chapter today! Yea, for a day off work!

* * *

Daniel awoke the next morning, highly conscious that he held a woman for whom he felt a strong physical attraction. He really, really hoped she was still sound asleep. There was absolutely no room for him to back away from her and he needed some time to will away the physical evidence of his attraction. 

Rori knew he was waking up when his breathing changed. She was keenly aware of his interest in her and, if circumstances were different, she would be more than happy to encourage that interest. Grinning to herself, she consciously moaned and snuggled closer to Daniel.

"Oh, shit!" Daniel knew he had to out of that bed. Now. He propped himself up on his elbow and began untangling himself from the blankets. He was just ready to climb over her and off the bed, when she shivered and threw a leg over his hip, trapping him. "Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit." Closing his eyes and concentrating on a mental image of Jack and Teal'c in glittery pink tutus and combat boots, twirling and leaping around in the gate room, Daniel tried to reduce his embarrassing situation.

Rori opened her eyes and peered up at Daniel, grinning like a loon in her head. "Morning."

_Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit._ Swallowing hard, Daniel closed his eyes. _OK, funny didn't work. Fear! _ He pictured being shot at by waves of death gliders coming at him from all directions. Hordes of Jaffa shooting him with zats. Running like hell from all the system lords. _Not working. She's so soft, and she smells so good, and, oh, god, she's moving again!_

Jack cracked open the door to the guest room, took one look at Daniel's face and knew exactly what was going on in his mind, and body. Snickering softly to himself, he considered letting Daniel get himself out of this. Deciding that he really couldn't abandon a teammate in trouble, he pushed the door open all the way. "Good morning, campers! Time to rise and shine!"

Daniel and Rori turned faces with identical guilty looks toward Jack. Completely enjoying himself, Jack continued, "We leave in an hour. That'll give you both enough time to shower, get dressed and out the door." Closing the door with a sharp click, Jack sauntered down the hallway to the kitchen to start the coffee. He was pretty sure Daniel was wide awake without the coffee. A few minutes later, he heard the shower running and he'd have put a hundred dollars in one of Walter's betting pools that if it was Daniel in the shower, it would be very, very cold water.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Shit! You little bastard!" Jason snatched the soda from the toddler's hand and dabbed at his pants with a hand full of paper napkins. "Damn clumsy brat."

Connor stood next to Jason in the outdoor eating area of McDonald's. He didn't understand Jason's reaction. His mother never yelled like that when he spilled. She'd just have him help her clean it up. He didn't like this man. He wasn't nice.

"Go play in the ball pit and leave me alone." Jason turned his back on Connor, wishing he'd never seen Rori. This was entirely her fault. If she hadn't struggled so damn much, he'd have had time to use a condom and the little snot never would have existed.

Connor ran over to the ball pit and gleefully jumped in, squealing in pleasure. He just missed landing on a little girl, who tossed a ball at him in retaliation. Her mother reprimanded her daughter gently and noticed how adorable the little boy was, with his huge blue-green eyes and curly, strawberry-blond hair. She also noticed how dirty he looked. His face was smudged with dirt that looked as if it had been there long enough to plant grass seeds in it. His clothes were stained with the remains of several meals.

Looking around, she noticed only one other adult in the playground area. A man sat slouched, his back to the play area. From the back, he didn't look as if he were related to the child, with his dark, wavy hair. She approached him, while keeping an eye on the two children play together in the ball pit.

"Excuse me? Is that little boy with you?" Amy was startled by the good-looking man who turned to her.

"Why? Has he done something wrong?" Jason immediately took in the attractive woman standing next to him. She was young, probably in her very early twenties, well built, with long light brown hair pulled into a pony tail.

"No. I just didn't see an adult with him and wondered if he might be lost." Amy was attracted to this guy. His muscles flexed under the black t-shirt as he gestured toward the plastic seat next to his.

"Junior's with me." Jason began to think that having a cute little kid might be a good way to pick up chicks. "I'm his dad. His mom died when he was born." _That ought to be good for some sympathy points._

Her face flushed lightly in embarrassment and sympathy. She placed her hand over his, "That must have been hard. I know how hard it is to raise a kid alone." She nodded toward her daughter. "You live around here?"

"No, the kid and I are just passing through. We're going to visit friend in Mexico for a while."

A flash of disappointment passed through her eyes. "Oh, well, I guess I'd better get my kid. It's almost time for me to get to work. See ya."

Jason watched with appreciation and as she walked away from him. He could really work this dead wife scam on women. Maybe he wouldn't dump the kid so fast after all.

"Come on, kid. It's time to hit the road." Jason left his trash on the table and grabbed Connor's wrist to haul him through the parking lot to the latest stolen car.

XXXXXXXXXX

By 0800 that morning, Jack, Rori and Daniel sat in the borrowed LearJet while Jack completed the preflight check. Daniel and Rori settled themselves comfortably in the passenger cabin's deep, leather seats. Daniel reached across the narrow aisle between them and squeezed Rori's hand in a gesture of support.

Rori raised her eyes to meet Daniel's. He returned her gaze and began rubbing his thumb soothingly over the knuckles of her hand. "We'll find him."

"I know you and Jack are doing everything you can. The bastard couldn't just have dropped off the face of the earth. He has to have made a mistake some place that will lead us to him." Rori tightened her grip on Daniel's hand in fear and hope.

Rori watched out the porthole window as the ground sped up beneath the wheels of the plane. She closed her eyes briefly, sending up a prayer for Connor's safety and speedy recovery. She prayed that he would be returned to her by the end of this day. She remembered his birth and how tiny and helpless he was. Only two years ago. And now he was an amazing little boy who was the center of her life.

She thought about the people in her life; Jack and Daniel and how they had immediately moved in to help her search for her son. Jack had quickly organized a search, acquired the plane, knew people who would help and been there for her. He didn't express his feelings as easily as Daniel did, but she felt that he understood her fear and would do what he could to find Connor.

Daniel had gotten her through last night. She thought she might have sunk completely into despair if it weren't for him. He knew exactly what she felt, because he'd experienced it himself. She remembered what she had done to him that morning and began to feel ashamed for teasing him. She hated women who teased men.

"Daniel. About this morning." Rori pulled her hand out of Daniel's and cleared her throat. "I'm sorry. I was awake and very aware of your, um, predicament. I just wanted to let you know that if the situation was different, well…I'll just say that the interest is returned."

Daniel blinked at her several times, taking in what she had just said. He was mildly annoyed that she had teased him like that, but at the same time he was pleased that she might be interested in him. "That's OK. Just remember that next time, I may not be such a gentleman. In fact, I can promise you I won't."


	9. Chapter 9

Jack pushed open the door and entered the bar alone. There were a half dozen men in there, even at 10am on a Tuesday morning. He parked himself on a stool at the bar and ordered a beer on tap. As the bartender drew out the drink, Jack dug into his pocket for his wallet. He dropped a twenty dollar bill onto the bar. 

When the bartender picked up the bill, Jack asked, "Does a Geraldo Muñoz work here?" Jack's eyes flickered between the twenty and the bartender's eyes, making it clear that he was willing to pay for the information.

"Yeah, man. The dude washes dishes and cleans up. He'll be in about two this afternoon." He tucked the twenty into his jeans.

"Do you know if he's ever served time in jail, say in Florida?" Jack pushed another twenty across the bar, keeping his finger on it.

"Don't know. He's been working here about six months and I don't know nothin' about him before that." He put his hand on the twenty and challenged Jack with his eyes.

Jack held onto the bill for a few beats, nodded and removed his hand, letting the man take it. He took a sip of the beer and left.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Damnit, Daniel. Everywhere I look, I see mothers and children." Rori turned her blue eyes toward her friend.

Daniel wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in for a hug. "I know, Rori, I know."

"I know you do, Daniel. It's just that… I keep thinking…" She sucked in a slow, shaky breath and buried her face in his shoulder.

"Breathe in through your nose to the count of four and out through your mouth to the count of eight. Works every time. Trust me. I've been doing it for years." Daniel's wry grin was lost on Rori as her face was still hidden in his shoulder.

Jack walked in, located his friends and headed for the counter to order some breakfast. He brought his breakfast sandwich and coffee over to the table and sat in the chair opposite Daniel and Rori. He unwrapped the hot food, took a huge bite and searched in his pocket for his cell phone. Taking another bite, his punched in the number for the FBI agent working on Connor's case.

He picked up his coffee and walked outside to get away from the noise of the kids in the restaurant. Daniel watched Jack through the window and knew from the frustrated look on his face that the news wasn't good.

Jack came back in, sat and finished his food in silence. He leaned back in the chair and looked at his companions. "Well, they traced Jason as far as San Antonio and then lost his trail. Seems that he's been stealing a new vehicle in almost every large town, but nothing has been reported in San Antonio that might have been Jason. I think he's on his way here and, hopefully, to meet our guy from the bar. We'll just need to wait until this afternoon to talk to him."

"So, what do we do for three hours?" Rori hugged her broken arm closer to herself. "I'll go nuts without something to do. I hate not knowing!"

Daniel and Jack exchanged worried glances. Daniel cleared his throat and suggested that they go to a movie. Jack nodded in agreement and both men looked at Rori. "Yeah, OK. I guess it's something to do for a while - as long as it's not a horror or SciFi movie. I hate those."

Jack sighed. He just knew they'd wind up watching some stupid chick flick.

XXXXXXXXXX

Jack was right. It was sappy and disgusting, but at least Meg Ryan was hot, and it passed the time. "Let's head out to the bar and we'll see what he knows."

The trio piled back into the rented car and Jack drove them back to the bar.

"Daniel, come in with me. Your Spanish is much better than mine, if we need it."

"Jack, we can't just leave Rori alone in this area of town!" Daniel was clearly not willing to go with Jack into the bar.

"Daniel, the woman is an Air Force officer. She can take care of herself." As far as Jack was concerned that was it. Daniel glanced back at Rori who nodded her head in agreement with Jack.

Jack pulled off his sunglasses and hooked them onto the neck of his t-shirt, then pushed open the bar door. Taking a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dimly lit room, Jack headed back to the bar and ordered two beers.

The same bartender came over and nodded his head toward a door behind the bar, apparently leading to a back room. Jack slid another twenty toward the man. He and Daniel sipped at their drinks while the barkeep went into the back room. A moment later, he came out with a Hispanic man in his mid twenties who moved hesitantly toward them.

Jack gave Daniel a sideways glance and then turned back to the man. "Are you Geraldo Muħoz?"

"Sí. Soy Gerardo Muñoz."

"Do you speak English?"

"Un poco. A little bit."

Jack turned to Daniel. "You're up, Danny."

Daniel spoke to the man in rapid Spanish for several minutes, then thanked him and handed him a fifty dollar bill.

"He's not the man we're looking for. He just came to this country six months ago and hasn't left Laredo at all. He's very sorry he can't help us." Daniel sighed with frustration. "Now what?"

Jack shoved his hand through his hair. "I guess we go see the old guy on our list. Maybe he knows something."

Rori was pacing up and down the sidewalk next to the car, not able to sit while she waited for Jack and Daniel. She kept flashing back to the look on Connor's face when Jason ran off with him. She looked down at her hands to see she had been twisting the hem of her t-shirt into a knot. She consciously relaxed her hands and attempted to smooth out the wrinkles she had made.

She jumped when she heard a noise that sounded like her cell phone, but it was a car passing with loud music blaring on the radio. If they didn't find Connor soon she was going to explode from nerves.

She looked up to see Jack and Daniel walking back to the car. She knew immediately by the look exchanged between them that they hadn't gotten any useful information. It had been a long-shot, but tears of disappointment burned unshed in her eyes anyway.

Jack enfolded her in a hug. "We're not finished. Not until Connor is home with you. We've got another guy here in town we're going to check out."

Jack gave her one more squeeze and opened the passenger door for her. She reluctantly slid back into the car and fastened the seatbelt. Daniel climbed into the back seat and the three silent friends headed for the next Geraldo Muňoz on their list.

XXXXXXXXXX

Jason parked the car in the mall lot. He woke Connor up and pulled him over to a phone booth outside the mall. "Don't move," Jason directed Connor as he dug into his pocket for some change. He flipped through the phone book, found the number he wanted and dialed. "Yeah, I need a cab." He gave directions and hung up.

"So, what should we do while we wait for the cab?" Jason stared at his son and considered what he had done. He had every right to Junior. He was his kid! But he'd never known how much work having a child around all the time was. He'd just have to find some hot chick who liked kids. Junior had his uses.

"I know." Pulling out more change, Jason dialed a number and waited for someone to pick up. "Hey. It's me. Wanna talk to your kid?" Jason shoved the phone at Connor.


	10. Chapter 10

Daniel and Rori waited outside the modest suburban home, while Jack was inside questioning this Geraldo Muñoz. They paced up and down the sidewalk, not talking, just waiting. Rori jumped when her cell phone sang out the Sponge Bob theme song – Connor's favorite. She flipped it open and grasped the phone with both hands when she heard the voice on the other end. 

"Connor? Is that really you?" Rori's hands trembled and she had difficulty holding on to the phone.

"Mama? You comin' get me?"

"I'm trying to find you, baby. I don't know where you are, but I'm looking. I won't stop until I find you."

Jason pulled the phone away from Connor and yelled into the phone. "Out of the kindness of my heart, I let you talk to the kid. He's okay. Now, stop looking for me 'cause you won't find us. We're leaving the country and disappearing."

Daniel took the phone from Rori, who stood rooted to the ground. "Jason? All we want is Connor back. Leave him someplace safe and we'll get him and let you go. Rori just wants her son."

"You think I'm giving up my son? You guys try to find me and I'll make sure she never sees him again. In fact, I'll make sure she never sees anything else, ever again!" Jason lowered his voice to harsh whisper. "I found her once, I'll find her again." He hung up.

Rori sagged against Daniel, her muscles no longer able to support her. Daniel dropped the cell phone and grasped her arms to keep her from dropping to the sidewalk. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed in his grip. He slipped his arm under her knees and carried her over to the rented SUV. He managed to open the back door while still cradling her in his arms, laid her down on the bench seat and crawled in on the floor beside her.

"Rori." He gently tapped her on the cheek. "Rori, wake up."

She moaned and turned her face away from Daniel's hand. "Connor, stop. Mommy's trying to sleep," she murmured softy.

Abruptly she sat up, disoriented. "Daniel, where's Connor? I heard him!"

"It's okay. You're okay. You just got a call from Jason and you talked to Connor. He's fine."

Her eyes, enlarged with fear, turned from blue-green to green as Daniel watched, fascinated. "He's close! I can feel it, Daniel." She placed her hand over his on her face and leaned into his caress, seeking comfort from his touch.

"Jack should be coming back in a few minutes. Maybe this guy is the one we've been looking for." Daniel sat next to her on the seat and pulled her up tight against him.

"For crying out loud, Daniel! Every time I leave you two alone for a few minutes, you've got your hands all over her. Get a room and get it over with!" Jack grinned, watching Daniel squirm with embarrassment.

"Jack, it's not like that." Daniel told Jack about the phone call and the threat that Jason made.

Jack threw one arm onto the roof of the car as he leaned into the back seat, listening to Daniel's explanation. As soon as Daniel finished, he straightened up and shoved both hand into his pockets. His jaw muscles twitched as he thought about that little boy who was taken from his mother. He would get Connor back so Rori wouldn't have to go through what he and Sara had been through. No parent should ever lose a child. Breathing deeply, he leaned back down to speak to Daniel.

"Yeah. Well, this Geraldo Muñoz is the father of the one we're looking for. His son was in prison in Florida at the same time Jason was. He's now living across the boarder in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. He gave me the address and directions. He's not too crazy about the idea of his son associating with Jason. It seems that Jason was the one who talked him into breaking-and-entering in the first place."

Jack looked at his watch. "Look, it's getting late. Let's go find a hotel for the night, get something to eat and we can cross the boarder tomorrow morning. That should give Jason enough time to get to his friend's place and we'll get Connor."

XXXXXXXXXX

Rori tossed her bag on the sleek, black lacquered dresser. Jack had insisted on the best hotel in Laredo, while she didn't care where she stayed because she knew there would be no sleep until her son was in her arms again.

Had it really only been two days? It felt like years. Her arms ached with emptiness. She felt she was missing a part of her, as though an arm had been ripped off. She curled up on the bed, hurting beyond tears.

Daniel entered through the connecting door between her room and the one he shared with Jack. He stopped, leaned against the doorframe, hands tucked into his pockets, and watched her. Her hair was draped around her face, hiding her eyes from him. He crossed the room silently and sat beside her on the bed. Reaching down, he drew the hair off her cheeks so he could see her eyes.

Her eyes opened and stared vacantly past his shoulder, filling his heart with icy pain. "Rori, we'll get him back."

He watched her eyes focus on his for the first time since he entered the room. _Blue…her eyes are blue when she's sad._

Her voice revealed no emotion. "I can't cry any more, Daniel. There's no feeling left. I think I died inside."

Daniel moved his hand from her hair to her cheek. His thumb moved softly across her cheek as he gathered her up in his arms and rocked her as a father would an injured child, while she clutched his shirt in desperation. He cradled her head, and murmured nonsense words into her ear as she drifted off into an exhausted sleep.

He held her close long after she had relaxed the grip she had on him. He laid her back on the pillows, removed her shoes and pulled the comforter up under her chin. He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, lingering for a while, feeling the texture and warmth of her smooth skin with his lips. He sat up and started to leave, when her hand darted out to grab his wrist.

"Don't leave me alone." She whispered hoarsely, her eyes still closed.

Daniel removed his glasses and his shoes and lay back down on the bed beside her. She turned toward him, silent tears glimmering under her closed eyelids, and tucked herself against his side. He pulled her closer, carefully avoided her injured arm, closed his eyes, and gave in to the pull of exhaustion.

XXXXXXXXXX

Jack returned to their room and flung open the door. "Lucy, I'm ho-ome!"

No response. Jack set down the bags filled with the Mexican food he'd bought, the enticing aroma wafting through the room, and peeked into the bathroom, expecting to find Daniel in there. Empty. He headed over to the open door between their rooms and walked in to find Daniel and Rori asleep together - again.

"Oh, Danny, I hope you know what you're getting into." Jack whispered as he turned back to his room and shut the door.

XXXXXXXXXX

Daniel dreamed about holding Sha're again. He could feel her hair caressing his cheek, but she smelled wrong – good, but not like he remembered. He felt her lips softy pressing against his neck and working their way around to his ear. He could feel her warm breath and he quivered as her teeth tugged tenderly on his ear.

Daniel bolted upright and gaped down at Rori. "Don't do this again, Rori."

"I'm not teasing, Daniel. I want you to make love to me – now." She reached up with her good hand and attempted to pull him back down.

"This is not a good idea. We both have so many emotions running through us, especially you, and this could be such a huge mistake." Daniel turned away from her and swung his feet off the bed. He glanced down at his watch and pushed the light on – 2:13 am.

"Daniel, please make love to me. I need you to make me feel like I'm still living – that I've not lost all ability to feel."

"Rori, I don't do therapy sex. Hell, I haven't had any sex in years! I may have forgotten how!" Daniel folded his arms across his chest and pinched the bridge of his nose.

She raised her eyebrows slightly and grinned at him in the soft glow of the street light coming through the window. "I'll remind you how it goes. It's like riding a bicycle, you never forget."

"No, Rori. This is sooo not going to happen." _God, now I'm channeling Jack._ Daniel walked toward the connecting door and put some space between them before he turned back to her again. "Rori, I'm really attracted to you and I think we might have something between us, but this is not the time to start. Good night. I'll see you in the morning."

He stepped through the door into his own room and she heard the click of the door closing.

"You lied. You promised me you wouldn't be a gentleman next time," she whispered to the closed door.


	11. Chapter 11

Jack woke up at 6 am the next morning to Daniel's soft snoring. He slid out of his bed and took the two steps between the beds in the hotel room. He put one hand under Daniel's shoulder, the other hand under his hip and flipped him over from his back to his side, just like he'd been doing for years off-world. Daniel snorted gently, mumbled, "Sorry, Jack," and fell back to sleep again. 

Jack rubbed his hands over his face and up through his hair. _Too late to go back to sleep._ He pulled out a change of clothes and headed for the bathroom to get a shower before waking up Daniel.

Jack emerged from the shower to find Daniel on the phone ordering coffee. "Daniel, you look like hell."

"Just tired, Jack." Daniel flopped back onto the bed. "What time is it?"

Jack picked up his watch from the night stand. "0620 hours. You going to tell me what's going on between you two? I came back with food to find you sleeping with her and this morning you're back here."

"Nothing's going on between us. Nothing can until she gets Connor back." Daniel sat back up and shoved the heals of his hands into his eyes.

"Danny, just be careful. I sure as hell don't want to see you... Well, just be careful." Jack thought about running a comb through his hair and decided to skip it. It never stayed combed for long anyway. "I'll go wake her up while you get into the shower. The coffee should be here by the time you get out."

Daniel grabbed a change of clothes and stepped into the bathroom. Jack opened the door to Rori's room and called out to her. "Rori! Time to get up. We're crossing the border this morning."

XXXXXXXXXX

By 0800 they were waiting in line to cross the boarder. It seemed they'd picked a _fiesta_ day to visit and the _turistas_ were out in full force. They were walking across since the rental car couldn't be taken into Mexico without all kinds of extra paperwork and none of them wanted to waste half the day filling it out.

"When we get across, we can get a cab to take us to the address I've got." Jack hoped this could go down easily. Getting caught in another country breaking laws was a really bad idea. They could sit in jail for weeks or months before being allowed to call for help. _Been there, done that._

XXXXXXXXXX

The cab pulled up to the address Geraldo, Sr. had given Jack. Daniel paid the man and asked him to return in fifteen minutes. They didn't want any bystanders getting in the way, but they still needed a way to get out quickly. Jack and Daniel each removed their Beretta from an inside jacket pocket, shoved a clip into the gun and made sure a bullet was in the chamber before slipping the gun into the back of their pant's waist. Jack pulled Rori off to the side of the house and nodded to Daniel.

Daniel walked to the front door and knocked. A young woman appeared and Daniel spoke to her in his rapid-fire Spanish for several minutes. She shut the door and Daniel walked back to Jack and Rori.

"She says that Jason showed up here last night with his son…"

Rori took several steps toward the house before Daniel stopped her. "They aren't here now. There's a parade downtown in about half an hour and Jason took Connor down to watch."

Rori nodded slightly. Daniel looked closely at her, concerned about her physical and emotion strength. "Rori, are you going to make it okay?" He turned to Jack, "I think maybe we should find someplace to leave her while we go looking for Connor."

"No!" Rori's eyes pled with Daniel, "You can't leave me now! We're going to find him today and he needs me to be there." The panic in her voice sliced through to Daniel's heart and he pulled her into his arms for a reassuring hug.

Jack stepped behind Daniel so he could see Rori's face. "I promise we won't leave you out of this – as long as you do what we say. I know you're an Air Force officer, but you're not front line. Daniel and I deal with armed idiots for a living and we'll get Connor back."

Huge blue eyes bore into warm brown ones over Daniel's shoulder. She took a deep breath and nodded slightly. "We're just so close and I'm so scared that I…" Her voice cracked with emotion and Jack reached around Daniel to clasp her uninjured shoulder and give it a quick squeeze.

"Let's go kick some butt and get Connor back." Jack waved an arm at the cab as it turned toward them from around the corner.

The cab took them to the middle of the parade route and dropped them off. Jack turned to his companions and thought for a moment. "Okay, here's what we're going to do. Daniel, we stay close enough to each other to see, but separate to have a better chance to find him. Rori, you go with Daniel – and stay close to him. We're taller than most of the people around here, so it shouldn't be too hard to see each other." Jack looked around. "Let's go this way first," he pointed to the west.

XXXXXXXXXX

Daniel spotted Connor sitting on Jason's shoulders, towering above the heads of the surrounding crowd, across the street. He grabbed Rori's hand and began edging through the tightly packed multitude of _fiesta_ goers.

From the other side of the street, Jack saw Connor and Jason at the same time as Daniel. He signaled to Daniel and then began maneuvering through the group of people toward Jason. Jason turned and recognized Jack as he approached him. He pulled Connor down off his shoulders, onto his left hip and pulled a gun out with his right hand. He turned around, seeking a quick escape route and saw Daniel pulling Rori in his direction.

Jason pointed his gun at Jack, "You come any closer, I'll shoot!"

The crowd surrounding him, mostly _gringos_ from across the boarder in town for the _fiesta,_ pulled back in panic. Jason saw Daniel running from the other direction and quickly pointed his gun in that direction, fired at Daniel, but missed.

Jack yelled, "Everybody drop to the ground! _Todos, gota a la tierra!_"

Daniel dropped Rori's hand and pulled out his Beretta. "Stay back, Rori. Jack and I will get Connor. Safe. I promise." He charged across the street, through the costumed paraders, and raced toward Jason.

Jason leveled his gun at Connor's head, facing Daniel. "Don't come closer."

Daniel and Jack both halted. Jack began to weave through the crowd behind Jason, seeking a way around the people to close in on him.

Daniel, gun directed at Jason, began to talk soothingly to Jason. "Jason, you know you don't want to hurt your son. Put him down and we'll talk about this."

"It's your fault! If you weren't screwing Rori, she would have been alone in the park and wouldn't have had the nerve to come after me now." Jason eyes continuously searched through the crowd for Jack, who had disappeared. "Where's the old guy?"

Daniel brought the gun up, bracing it with both hands, and took aim at Jason.

"You'd never risk the brat. You're too scared shitless." Sweat began to dot Jason's forehead.

"I'm not." Jason whipped his head around to find Rori planted behind him, her gun raised and pointed directly at his head.

"I can kill the kid and take one of you out before either of you can shoot!" Jason began slowly backing toward a parking lot.

Daniel's calm voice wafted over the heads of the cowering crowd. "And the other one of us will kill you before you get away. Just put Connor down and we'll let you go. We only want him back safely."

Jack emerged from between two buildings and fired without warning at Jason, but missed.

Jason fired back and Jack went down with a thump and a groan.

Jason dumped Connor on the sidewalk and fired at Daniel, shattering a storefront window while running into a parking lot. Rori rushed forward to grab her son.

Daniel fired back at Jason, who dropped behind a car fender. Daniel began running toward the parking lot where he'd last seen Jason. Rori snatched up Connor and ran back toward Jack.

Jason emerged from behind an old pickup and fired blindly in Daniel's direction. A soft thud, followed by a sharp scream told Daniel that someone had been hit. He pressed his lips together in a tight line and furrowed his brow in concentration. Daniel waited for Jason to make a move and fired at him, grazing him in the arm, but Jason kept moving from behind one car to another.

Jason ran between two vehicles, firing again at Daniel. This time the bullet found its mark and Daniel went down. Jason jumped onto a motorcycle parked in the corner of the lot and fled down the alley, leaving a trail of blood drops.

Rori ran from Jack, who lay in the street clutching his shoulder, to Daniel.

"Oh, god, Daniel! Talk to me!" Rori squeezed Connor closer to her chest as she dropped down next to Daniel.

"Bastard! Shot me in the leg – again! Janet will make me use those damn crutches!" Daniel lay back on the cement, his right arm thrown over his eyes and his left hand on Connor's back, checking to be sure he was real.

Rori began laughing with relief. "I guess you're all right if you can worry about what Janet's going to do," she finally managed to squeak out between bursts of relieved giggles, hugging Connor desperately.

Jack staggered toward Daniel and Rori as they heard the distant sound of sirens. "There'll be hell to pay with Hammond when he tries to clear this mess up with the Mexican government. He'll have me filling out paperwork for months to explain this." He moaned and clinched his teeth in pain. "Too bad Jason didn't shoot me in my right shoulder, then I wouldn't be able to fill out the damn forms."


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: This is it! The final chapter. But I left it so there is a possiblity of a sequel - depends upon my flighty muse. She's so undependable!

* * *

Jack brought the Lear Jet down, one-handed, in a perfect three-point landing on Runway 12, adjoining Peterson Air Force Base. As he completed his landing check list, he glanced back into the passenger section to see all three people curled up as close as they could get and still be buckled in – sound asleep. What a sorry group they were; Jack and Rori each with an arm in a sling and Daniel back on crutches again. Jack chuckled, partly in relief that Connor had been found safe and partly in hope that Daniel had found what he had been looking for since Sha're's death.

"Rise and shine, people! We're home." Jack woke up the three sleepy people and watched, amused, as Daniel tried to extricate himself from under both Rori and Connor.

Jack groaned and grasped his left arm as he leaned over to grab his duffle bag. Now that he had safely landed back in Colorado Springs, he could finally take the pain pills the doctor in Laredo had given him yesterday. He knew that Fraiser would expect them all to check in with her some time today. She always had to check another doctor's work any time one of "her" people was injured or sick somewhere else before she felt comfortable with allowing them back on duty.

As soon as Fraiser let him go, Jack headed to his office and made a few phone calls to friends. He knew Jason would have to have his wound treated someplace, and he had friends who could trace him, even in Mexico. If the Mexican authorities caught him, it would be more difficult to extradite him, but it was possible. Jack hoped he rotted in a Mexican jail.

Later that afternoon, after all four of them had been checked by Dr. Fraiser and pronounced worthy of going home, Rori drove Jack and Daniel home; of the three, she was in the best shape. She just wanted to get Connor home and never go out the door again.

XXXXXXXXXX

It was several days later before Daniel realized why he'd been feeling so restless. Partly, it was because Janet still wouldn't let him back on base, something about being able to walk without the crutches – again. But, when he poured himself a cup of coffee, he suddenly had a vision of Rori. He saw her in the sunlight, her hair swirling around her head like a blaze of fire, swinging Connor around in circles, laughing from the sheer joy of life.

_My dreams have been filled with her, and now I can't even pour a cup of coffee without seeing her._ Daniel wandered over to his piano, set the coffee mug down, and began poking at the keys. He remembered how excited his mother had been about finally having a place where she'd be able to keep a piano after they'd come back to New York. She taught him a few simple songs before the accident and Daniel continued to teach himself whenever he had access to a piano in a foster home or at school. Only Jack, who shared his love of music, was aware that the piano was an outlet for his bottled-up emotions.

He closed his eyes and began Rachmaninoff's "Piano Concerto No.2 in A Minor." As always, his frantic thoughts melted away as his fingers chased each other over the keys. The minor chords of the concerto reflected his melancholy mood and his body quaked with power as the music crescendoed. He flowed from Rachmaninoff into Beethoven's "Piano Sonata No.14." He could hear the ebb and flow of ocean surf and the call of seagulls under the music as his fingers took him to another place.

He missed hearing the soft knock at the door. He missed seeing the doorknob turn and the door silently glide open on its hinges. He didn't hear the door click shut. He did feel her presence slide underneath the music when he shifted from Beethoven to Mozart's "Piano Concerto No. 21." She stood several feet behind him, almost not daring to breathe. Her eyes closed, overpowered by his emotions as they poured from his fingers through the keyboard into her soul. As the final delicate notes drifted into the heavens, he turned and faced her.

She staggered, as if the music had been physically supporting her and she was weakened by its loss. He slid off the piano bench and took one tentative step in her direction. Her eyes opened and found their focus when they met his eyes. Her hair dripped with the rain from outside and the sight of the wet fire glowing around her face stopped his heart briefly. He closed the space between them and searched her eyes for permission. Her eyes flitted downward to his mouth and her tongue darted out in nervous reaction to lick her dry lips.

He watched her eyes when they deepened in color and became teal as desire flared in them. His left hand rose and his fingers pushed back the curls from her face. His right arm snaked behind her back and pulled her against him as his head lowered to …

His eyes snapped open and he discovered himself sitting alone on his piano bench. _Okay… Time to get back to work whether Janet thinks so or not. I can't sit around here any longer or I'll go nuts!_

Daniel grabbed his jacket, his keys and his crutches, then hobbled out the door to drive to the mountain where he hoped to lose himself in his work.

XXXXXXXXXX

Daniel entered the infirmary and saw Rori there. He backed out the door and stood in the hallway for a few minutes, trying to decide if he was ready to see her yet. He finally straightened, took a deep breath, reentered Janet's territory and headed over to the bed where Rori sat.

"Hello, Rori." Daniel's voice was soft and unsure.

"Hey, Daniel! How are you?" Rori's eyes lit up when she saw him standing in front of her. His head was ducked down and he hugged himself, like a child who wasn't sure if he was wanted at the dinning table with the adults. Her heart sped up and her stomach seemed to flip upside down. She couldn't remember having that much of a physical reaction to the presence of a man since the crush she had on her 11th grade history teacher, Mr. Barnett.

"I'm here to try and get Janet to let me back into my office. I just know there's a stack of translations waiting for me." Daniel blinked several times at her. "I was bored to death at home."

"At least I have Connor to keep me busy, although, it is hard to keep up with an active two-year-old with only one hand." She pointed to her the new cast on her left arm. "Janet said the wound had healed enough to remove the stitches and put it in a cast. I'll actually have more mobility now that it's not bound to my chest."

Daniel grinned shyly at her. "Can I be the first to sign it?"

Laughter bubbled up from her throat. "Absolutely!"

Janet approached the pair, "Lt. O'Brien, you can go home now. You're healing very quickly – in spite of the little excursion you three took," she glared at Daniel, who shifted his eyes downward to count the cracks in the cement floor, "and you'll probably be able to return to work in about two weeks."

Rori slid off the bed. "Daniel, meet me in the commissary when you're done, okay?"

Daniel nodded at her and turned back to Janet as Rori left the room. Janet stood with her hands on her hips and glared up at him. "What are you doing back on base? I told you not to come back until you can walk without those crutches."

"Janet," Daniel began his plea, "I'm going stir crazy at home! Can't I at least come in for half a day? I'll sit at my desk and just do paperwork." Daniel's blue eyes batted several times in Janet's direction.

Janet continued to glare at him until she finally threw up her hands and sighed in defeat. "All right. But, and there is no room for argument here, only for four hours a day. Then you go straight home and stay off your feet. Understood?" She planted her left fist on her hip and waggled her right index finger under Daniel's nose. "Or, so help me, I'll come after you with the biggest needle I've got filled with knock-out juice!"

Daniel shuddered (he knew she'd do it, too) and nodded before he flashed a big smile and hobbled out as quickly as he could. "Thanks, Janet. I'll be good. I promise," he threw over his shoulder, not daring to stick around long enough for her to change her mind. He headed to the elevator and punched in level 22 for the commissary.

He stopped in the doorway and saw that Rori had already claimed a table and had a cup of coffee waiting for him. He picked his way carefully between chair legs and dropped unceremoniously into a chair facing her. He grunted with relief as he dropped the crutches behind him on the floor, taking care to be sure they weren't sticking out to trip any unsuspecting passers-by.

"How is Connor doing?" Daniel took a sip of the bitter liquid the commissary considered coffee and scrunched his nose in distaste.

"He seems to be doing okay, but Janet and I talked about having him evaluated by a child psychologist over at the Academy Hospital." She swirled a spoon around in her black coffee. "Physically, he's fine. At least Jason fed him and Connor told me that the Mexican lady at the last house gave him a bath when they showed up Tuesday night." She met Daniel's eyes and grinned over that.

They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, until Rori began squirming in her seat. "Daniel, can we go somewhere private and talk? Connor's at his babysitter's for the next few hours."

"Sure. You want to go back to my place?" Daniel looked down, surprised to find that his coffee cup was empty. He looked back up into her eyes over the top of his glasses, unsure if she would be willing to go to his place.

She met his clear blue eyes with her blue-green gaze and nodded.

XXXXXXXXXX

Daniel leaned against the railing next to his front door while he dug in his pocket for his door key. He unlocked his door, pushed it open and stood aside for her to enter. He gestured for her to have a seat while he hobbled over to the couch and sank into the soft, black leather, bringing his wounded leg up. "Sorry for taking the entire couch, but I just need to keep it stretched out for a while." He flashed her a tiny grin of apology.

She sank down onto the floor next to him, her gaze on her fingers as they nervously picked at her jeans. "Daniel, I wanted to talk to you about 'us.' We kind of skirted around the issue while we were gone, but I want you to know that my feelings haven't changed. I'm still interested in pursuing a relationship with you."

She raised her eyes up to find Daniel had leaned over and was eye level with her. He slipped his hands around her waist and pulled her up onto the couch so that she was sitting next to him. One arm rose behind her head and pulled her down until she was hovering just above his face.

"Are you sure about this? I don't want to stop this time." His eyes twinkled in amusement, "Although, it maybe be a bit awkward between my bum leg and your useless arm." He gave her a small half grin.

"I think we'll manage to figure something out." She closed the space between them and gently brushed his lips with hers while her hair created a curtained private world for just the two of them. Her tongue ran along the edge of his lips, provoking a low groan in him.

He pulled her down even closer as his tongue traced her lips and then begged entry. She parted her lips and allowed his explorations, squirming on the few inches of the couch his body allowed. When his hand began tugging at her shirt, seeking skin-to-skin contact, she backed away from him causing him to moan in protest.

She stood up while he blinked up at her in confusion. "Rori? Are you leaving?" All the losses he'd had in his life flashed through his mind so quickly they didn't register consciously, but his heart feared another loss.

She gazed down, "No. Of course not. Let's go to your room. We'll have more space there." She offered her hand to help him stand.

He took her hand, hauled himself off the couch with difficulty, and pulled her into a tight embrace. "God, Rori. I've waited years for you. The way your hair lights the room. How your eyes change color with your moods. Everything about you tempts me."

"Oh, Daniel. Are you sure you're not up to running yet? Because if we don't get to your bed quickly I'm just going to toss you on the floor and have my way with you right here on your Egyptian rug."

He grinned, took her hand and led to back to his room – no crutches.


End file.
